“It’s such a transition in her life, and it’s such a huge thing to take on. Life as she knows it is gone. But hey, she’s marrying the prince of Britain — how exciting for her,” said Smith, 35, during a talk this week at New York's 92nd Street Y.

"You realize the fact that Elizabeth forbade her sister from marrying a divorced man; it goes to show how time has changed and how they’ve had to evolve," she said, referring to Markle’s status as a divorcée.

"And they really have. This would not have been conceivable, this would not have happened 50 years ago," she said. "And I think that’s why the monarchy will survive, and thrive, because it’s willing to change and listen to the people and realize that some elements of the institution are outdated and unnecessary.”